Buoyant hatch cover



Aug. 14, 1951 E. L. BUSH BUOYANT HATCH COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov.20, 1945 INVENTOR. 5AA! 1E5 @usx-l BY in construction.

Patented Aug. 14, 1951 UNITED STATES harem OFFICE Ean Lee Bush, SanFrancisco, Calif.

Application November 20, 1945, Serial No. 629,750

2 Claims. 1 This invention relates to a hatch cover. In the past,various types of structures and covers were used to cover the hatches ona ship or the like. There were even some attempts made 'cover which isbuoyant and which is so constructed that when covering the hatch itforms a perfect seal on the hatch and when removed from the hatch it canbe used in the water as a raft or loading barge or in any other suitablemanner.

Another feature of my invention is to provide a hatch cover made ofbuoyant sections which interlock with each other and with the hatch rimso as to achieve a complete and perfect seal in covering position, butwhich can also be interconnected when dropped in the water so as to forma large life raft or barge or the like; means being provided to securelyhold the latch sections together when used as a unit, and to mount onsaid sections various accessories needed to make them safer as liferafts or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hatch cover which ishighly useful and simple Convenience of arrangement, lightness andcomparative inexpense of manufacture are further objects which have beenhome in mind in the production the invention.

It will be understood that various changes in the details ofconstruction may be made without department from the spirit or scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings for the illustrative embodiment of the invention,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing m hatch cover in a box;

Fig. 2 is a side view showing said hatch cover on the hatch;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the head sections with the top wallremoved to show the cellular structure inside of the hatch;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one of the hatch sections, thesection being taken through said hatch section only and generally on thelines 44 of Fig. 1;

and development of the other hatch cover section II.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the other complemental hatchsection, the section being taken through said complemental hatch sectionem and generally on lines 5-5 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 is a sectional view,the section being taken longitudinally of one of. the hatch covers onthe line 66 of Fig. 1.

My invention herein is shown in combination with the flanges 1 of ahatch opening 8. Such hatches are usually used for loading'or unloadingcargo in ships or the like. 'The'fl'anges 1 form a rim around the entireopening 8 of the hatch. The upper edges of the flanges 1 are bentdownwardly toward the deck at an acute angle with the vertical flanges Iso as to form rims 9 which slant outwardly and toward the deck. I

My hatch cover may be made up of two or more sections, but in'the hereinillustrations it is shown as made up of two complemental hatch sectionsH and I2. Each hatch cover section II or l2 has an outer edge I3 andends [4 which are recessed to form ledges I5 near the bottom I!) of saidhatch cover so as to fit over the rims 9 of the hatch flanges 1 on threesides and to be supported thereon as well as to seal those portions ofthe hatch r-im.

The fourth side It of one of the hatch sections, in this instance, thehatch section I I, is provided .with a plurality of downwardly directedangular serrations or recesses H which extend the full length of theside I 6 from one end [4 to the other end [4 of the hatch cover H Themeeting edge I8 of the other hatch cover section !2 is provided withserrations or recesses 2| provided with upwardly extended projections orledges 9 which are of toothlike cross sections and fit into therespective recesses ll of the adjacent side 16 of The ledges l9 formsteps with recesses 2| which steps are inclined inwardly and downwardlyofthe'section l2 and the correspondingsteps formed by the ledges 22for-med between the recesses I! on the other cover section II areinclined inwardly and upwardly, so that the complemental ledges l9 and22 in the meeting sides of the adjacent sections are teethlike andinterlocking. Thus after the hatch cover I2 is in position, the othercover section I I can be placed in position so that the central edgethereof interlocks with the adjacent central edge of the cover section12. The joint so formed is a sealing joint which prevents any moistureor water to flow in through the joining edges of the hatch coversections.

Each of the hatch cover sections is buoyant. In the present illustrationeach section includes the bottom ID from which extend the end walls l4upwardly. The end walls H! at their top are mitered or convergedinwardly and upwardly at the portion 23, and each of said miteredsections of the inclined walls 23 are suitably recessed at the outer topedge 24. The outer wall I3 is formed straight as shown in Fig. 4 andFig. 5. The inner or central wall l6 and I8 of each section is formedvertically, but on the outer side of each of these central walls It andI8 are the tooth like longitudinal ledges, and interlockin recesses asheretofore described. A suitable top wall 26 extends into recesses 24 ofthe upper portions 23 of said end walls M as well as into suitableoverlapping joints 25 at the respective sides l3 and H5 or |8 of thehatch cover sections H or I2. The walls heretofore described include anair tight compartment which is sufiicient to render the respective coversections buoyant, and even to float a reasonable load thereon so thatthey may function as life rafts. or barges or the like. A honeycomb ofrib plates 21 is provided in, each section, both transversely andlongitudinally, being preferably formed of intersecting rib plates whichextend from the bottom ID to the top 26, and longitudinally from the endM to the other end I4 and transversely from the outer wall l3 to theinner wall. IE or I8. This rib structure braces the cover againststresses in all directions. able that. these rib plates 21 be perforatedas indicated at the holes 28 in Figs. 4, 5 and ,6-

The aforedescribed sectional hatch cover is made up of comparativelylight sections which are buoyant yet very strong and can carry loads inwater either as life rafts or as loading or unloading barges,

In order to facilitate the lifting of these. hatch covers from the hatchand the placing them in position, I provide several pockets 29 withcross bars 3| in the walls l4 and 23, so that hooks of usual kind can behooked onto these bars 3| and the hatch cover sections can be easilylifted or lowered.

These pockets 29 andbars 3| are arranged in horizontal alignment withone another in such a manner that when a pair of such hatch coversections H and I2 are united then a tying element such as a chain 32, asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, can be drawn over the respective bars 3|in the adjacent pockets 29 and tightly secure the said hatch coversections together. This is a particularly advantageous feature at timeswhen several of such covers are secured together to provide a largesupport or carrying surface as a life raft or as a loading or landingbarge.

To render the use of these combined sections safer, the same areprovided with spaced sockets 33 around the top into which suitable postsmay be secured for supporting suitable rails, not shown. A base platewith preformed bolt holes,

For the reduction of weight it is prefer- (5. as shown at 34 in Fig. 1,can accommodate any power plant such as an outboard motor andaccessories, the propeller of which may be projected into the water atsaid side of the unit and the raft may be then propelled as desired.

The sectional hatch cover heretofore described is eminently adapted tocover and seal a hatch; it is easy to lift or lower into position; it iscomparatively light and can be swung over the side and used in the watereither as a life raft or as a barge, whenever it is not used as a hatchcover. The combination hatch cover and raft herein described can be usedwithout any adjustment and can be assembled for either position or usevery rapidly by the average labor available.

I claim:

1. In a hatch cover, a plurality of buoyant hatch cover sectionscomplementing one another to cover a hatch, sealing ledges on theoutsides of said sections, and interlocking sealing ledges between theadjacent sections, said sealing ledges including a series of stepsoffset relatively to one another, pointed outer corners of each stepdefining a socket,,the steps being complemental on adjacent sections forinterlocking the steps of one section with the-sockets of the adjacentsection 2. In a hatch cover, a plurality of hollow buoyant hatch coversections complementing one another to cover a hatch; the meeting sidesof adjacent sections being stepped oppositely forming complementalinterlocking steps, each step of one meeting side being inclinedinwardly and downwardly of its section, and the corresponding steps ofthe other meeting side being inclined inwardly and upwardly of itssection to form teethlike interlocking ledges; a downwardly projectingcrosssectionally angular support ledge on the outer sides of eachsection; and a detachable device for connecting and holding saidsections in interlocked position.

EAN LEE BUSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileof-this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 12,743 Pheatt Apr. 17, 185518,816 Keyser Dec. 8, 1857 867,294 OHaire Oct. 1, 1907 1,005,426 GreenOct. 10, 1911 2,091,775 Yorke Aug. 31, 1937 2,376,245 Frick May 15, 1945FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,610 Great Britain 1893

